On the way back from a work field trip in Gayndah we travelled via Esk where we noticed a gentleman peering up at the powerline on the main street looking distressed.

A tiny black flying fox pup was hanging on for life up there. We stood for quite a while trying to discern whether the little one was alive or dead. After about 10 minutes, a pair of binoculars and some reassuring chatter we saw a pair of little ears prick up. She was alive!

If you like to know more about how to recognise different species of similar looking birds when they are flying in the air or those that hover around you, Lovitch gives a good set of principles you can use to develop your skills.

The book goes further and describes sing the ‘Whole Bird” approach to identifying the bird. Regular readers know that I’ve been using this approach for many years myself and teac them to do the same, honing in on the finer more unique patterns to identify individual birds.

The more exposure we give our brains to looking at the shape of the birds in flight, or while perched at a distance, the better we become at identifying them from a distance. Lovitch’s sketches of the different sparrows is an amazing example of how the brain can be trained to pick the slight differences in the shape and features of even small birds.

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Carbon Is Life Book

The story of carbon dioxide, the essential life-giving gas that feeds all life. Contrary to everything we have been told, our planet is currently suffering a carbon famine, with deadly consequences for the poor and for wildlife.

This is the book every environmentalist and lover of wildlife really needs to read! (Click to read more.)